Mystery of Melchizedek, by Chuck Missler
Mystery of Melchizedek, by Chuck Missler
Mystery of Melchizedek, by Chuck Missler
ISBN: 978-1-57821-637-6
We have here two confederations, four kings against five. The four
kings are Shemites and the five subjected kings are descendants of Ham.
Amraphel king of Shinar is listed first as the primary king in the list, which
is interesting because, apparently, this Amraphel is the same person as the
famous Babylonian king Hammurabi. Hammurabi’s Code of 282 laws was
excavated in 1901 and now sits protected in the Louvre. Even though
Chedorlaomer is the real leader in this battle, Amraphel the king of Babylon
is mentioned first. We need to remember that these are real, historical kings
and this battle was a major event affecting a significant part of the Middle
East.
All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt
sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year
they rebelled.
Genesis 14:3-4
In other words, these five kings have been subjected and forced to pay
tribute for 12 years, but in the 13th year they joined together and agreed to
rebel against their oppressors. This is the major political background, and
the whole ordeal ends up directly affecting Abraham and his family. We’re
going to see in the unfolding of this battle an example of God’s promise to
Abraham to bless those that bless him and curse those that curse him.
The Nephilim
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were
with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the
Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the Horites
in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. And they
returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the
country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in
Hazezontamar.
Genesis 14:5-7
There are a number of strange names in this list, but they should be
familiar to those who have studied about the Nephilim. The word Rephaim
means “giants” and it is the word used most often to designate massively
huge people throughout the Bible. In this case, the Rephaim are a people
defeated by Chedorlaomer at Ashteroth Karnaim, which is northeast of the
Jordan Valley in a place called Peraea before the Canaanites moved into the
area. Og, the giant king of Bashan, apparently was the last of these
Rephaim according to Deuteronomy 3. He lived in Ashtaroth Edrei and he
was defeated by Moses as the last survivor of the remnant of this particular
line of giants.
Chedorlaomer also defeated the Emims[2], whom Deuteronomy 2:11
describes as a race of giants. Nine verses later the Zamzummims are also
referred to as giants. The Zuzims of Ham were a northern tribe of Rephaim
between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers, whom Chedorlaomer fought and
conquered. The Ammonites who supplanted them called them by a different
name “Zamzummim.” The Emims and Anakims and the Zamzummims
were probably all the same stock in different locations, given various names
by the different tribes that came into contact with them.
We have reason to regard all of these giant tribes as the Nephilim –
“fallen ones” because the word Nephilim is also translated “giants.” We
know from Genesis 6:4 that the Nephilim resulted from some strange
behavior between the “sons of God” and human women, and these tribes
were apparently engaged in the same sort of unholy activity. The Emims
were also known as the sons of Anak, who are described as Nephilim
(“giants”) in Numbers, which states:
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the
giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were
in their sight.
Numbers 13:33
These are the people Chedorlaomer went out to fight and conquer.
Chedorlaomer is described as the leader from Elam – ancient Persia, the
land now known as Iran. These five kings rose up against him, wanting to
throw off the yoke of tribute, but Chedorlaomer’s alliance of four kings
defeated and spoiled the rebels. Genesis 14 describes this battle and the
demise of these giants. Even the Nephilim are mortal, after all:
And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and
the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the
same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations,
and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings
with five. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of
Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled
to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah,
and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s
brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
Genesis 14:8-12
These two short verses raise a number of interesting issues. For one, this
is the very first mention of “Hebrew” – a word that comes from the root
word for “crossed over.” That’s just an interesting tidbit. More significantly,
these verses raise a serious question about whether Christians should be
prepared for physical battle. Servants of the Most High God frequently go
out to fight their enemies in the Hebrew Scriptures. We can ask how that
role fits our purposes today as servants of Jesus Christ. We’re impacted by
the fact that Abraham not only had an army’s worth of servants, but they
were trained and ready in anticipation of such an emergency.
At this time, Abraham had no children. His eldest servant was in the
position to inherit everything if Abraham died, more like a business partner
than a common slave. Abraham’s possessions were nothing to sniff at –
especially considering he had 318 trained professional warriors in his camp.
He certainly had many additional servants who remained behind at camp to
look after the herds and goods during his absence. This is where we begin
realize that Abraham was an extremely powerful man in the land.
When Abraham’s nephew Lot was captured – his only family in the
region – Abraham readied his 318 trained men and pursued the kings’
armies from the Dead Sea all the way north to Damascus, from south to
north across the entire land that would one day belong to Israel.
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and
smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of
Damascus.
Genesis 14:15
The text does not give us precise details about his battle plan, but it’s
clear that Abraham used his forces very wisely. He split them into two
groups and apparently came at the enemy from two directions in a sneak
attack at night. Whatever his exact strategy, Abraham’s men succeed against
the four kings that had been the winners in their recent battles. That’s
impressive. A multi-faceted situation like this demanded non-trivial military
tactics. Abraham’s men were able to beat the enemy and return home with
everything.
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother
Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of
Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of
Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of
Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
Genesis 14:16-17
Abraham didn’t just grab Lot and run. His men hammered those four
northern kings and plundered them, taking back all the people and things
that had been captured during the earlier battle. This obviously thrilled king
of Sodom, who went out to meet the returning warriors. Abraham, however,
wasn’t too concerned about visiting with the king of Sodom. He had a more
important king to see.
Chapter 3
Melchizedek, King of Salem
When Abraham returns from battling Chedorlaomer, he goes to see an
extremely important person, the king of Salem. Verse 18 surprises us. From
nowhere, it shows up in the narrative and becomes the subject of our
present exploration:
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he
was the priest of the most high God.
Genesis 14:18
Here it is. The first mention of Melchizedek. Who is he, this mysterious
man whose name means “king of righteousness?” The king of Salem arrives
in the story without introduction, with no other information about him
beyond his position as the priest of the Most High God. Had Abraham
known him long? Did he regularly visit him in Salem? We don’t know. We
meet Melchizedek briefly in Genesis 14, then we never see him again. Yet,
he is a significant person mentioned several times throughout the rest of the
Bible.
Melchizedek presents us with certain puzzles. The verse states that he
was the priest of the Most High God. Throughout most of the Old
Testament, the positions of priest and king were neatly separated. Saul was
rejected by God as king after an incident in which he made sacrifices, rather
than waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive.[3] Saul failed to respect the
boundaries of his authority, and his descendants were cut off from the
throne of Israel as a result. How is it that Melchizedek was able to serve as
both priest and king? That is a mystery.
There are things the passage does tell us about him. We do know that
Melchizedek came from Salem, another name for Jerusalem according to
Psalm 76:2. The city is mentioned early in the Armama letters,[4] which
date to the 14th century B.C. The Amarna tablets contain diplomatic letters
written in Akkadian cuneiform, including several from the king of
“Ershalem” to the Pharaoh, indicating the Canaanite court at the time had
the sophistication to include scribes and diplomatic ties with Egypt.
There is a document in the original Dead Sea Scrolls known as the
Genesis Apocryphon, which offers an apocryphal conversation between
Lamech and his son Noah, as well as a description of this same battle in
Genesis 14. While this document is not considered to be the inspired Word
of God, it also describes Salem as a synonym for Jerusalem. So, we know
that Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem.
El Elyon
We also want to note the name used for God in this passage, El Elyon -
“God Most High.” This is a name associated with the Gentile world, where
a multitude of gods were recognized. When we hear the Muslims cry Allahu
akbar, we think it means, “God is great!” It’s actually a comparative term
that means, “Allah is greater!” or “Allah is greatest.” Greatest? Greater than
whom? This term in Genesis 14 is a superlative. Melchizedek worships the
Most High God. The greatest God. The God above all gods.
We find the term “Most High” used in Deuteronomy 32:8 as Moses
declares the greatness of the LORD. We also find it all through Daniel 4,
the chapter written by Nebuchadnezzar.[5] Nebuchadnezzar always refers to
God with the Elyon descriptive. The God he describes is not just any local
god, but the Most High, highest of all the gods of the peoples. He is the
possessor of heaven and earth.[6] This specific title is a non-Jewish title. It’s
a title used by Gentiles.
The term “Most High” is also used by Daniel in his Aramaic section
(because Daniel is written in both Hebrew and Aramaic). When he’s using
Aramaic, he’s communicating in the context of the Gentiles, and he uses El
Elyon in that context. We therefore notice the subtlety of the label here.
The Bread and Wine
Melchizedek brings out bread and wine for Abraham, and then he
blesses him. Here we have this title again, “most high God, possessor of
heaven and earth.”
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God,
which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him
tithes of all.
Genesis 14:18
I believe that when Melchizedek brings out the bread and wine in
Genesis 14:18, he anticipates our Lord Jesus Christ. Melchizedek feeds
Abraham bread and wine. These two elements provided by Melchizedek are
strangely emphasized. In fact, Melchizedek’s role climaxes at the Lord’s
Supper, which Paul tells us, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.”[7] I believe that’s true of the
bread and wine that Melchizedek administered Abraham. Later, when
Abraham agrees to sacrifice Isaac, he knows that he is acting out prophecy
and believes that Isaac will be resurrected.[8] Isaac is returned to him, but
Abraham says, “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”[9] Abraham’s
willingness to sacrifice Isaac foreshadowed God’s willingness to sacrifice
His beloved Son, and the bread and the wine Melchizedek offered Abraham
is suggestive of the bread and wine that represent Christ’s sacrifice offered
for us.
Blessings and Tithes
In Genesis 14, Melchizedek offers blessings to Abraham and to the God
who has given him this great victory. Melchizedek basically tells Abraham,
“Well done,” which indicates that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.
For, as Hebrews 7:7 tells us, “without all contradiction the less is blessed of
the better.” We have the ability to praise God, but when it comes to offering
blessings in the Scriptures, the fathers give blessings to the children and not
the other way around.
Then we have this sentence that shatters us; Abraham gives
Melchizedek tithes of everything. The fact that Abram gave tithes to
Melchizedek is huge in its significance. The writer of Hebrews makes the
point that Levi was still in the loins of Abraham when Abraham did this,
which means that the priesthood of Levi is subordinate to the priesthood of
Melchizedek.[10] Melchizedek’s priesthood is precedent to Levi’s
priesthood.
The implications are amazing, especially considering the brevity of
these few verses tucked away in Genesis 14. The writer of Hebrews spends
a great deal of time on the significance of the priesthood of Melchizedek in
contrast to the Levitical priesthood, especially in light of Christ’s position
as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. We’ll research these things later
in this book, but one of the things I hope you carry away from studying the
Bible is the discovery that it’s a design package of 66 books. The entire
Bible is an integrated message system, and every detail has been placed
there deliberately by the Holy Spirit. Once you discover that for yourself, it
changes everything.
Here we have this peculiar little verse tucked away in Genesis 14, and
of course we’re not through yet.
The Jewish Parenthesis
Genesis begins with the Creation and covers the period of time up to the
settlement of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the events of Exodus. The
rest of the Old Testament then takes us through to the end of the Babylonian
Exile and restoration of Jerusalem. After that, there are 400 years that are
sometimes called the “silent years,” although Daniel covers those “silent”
years in advance through prophecy. [11] In other words, the Hebrews
Scriptures cover thousands of years of human history. The New Testament,
on the other hand, covers a very short period of time.
While the canon is closed, we are still in the New Testament Period.
We’ve been there for nearly 2000 years. The time from the Creation to
Abraham was also about 2000 years. From the time of Abraham to the
coming of Christ, there appears a sort of parenthesis of Jewishness. Here in
Melchizedek, we find a Gentile king who predates the Levitical system,
who would have been considered unclean by Levitical standards. Yet, he is
a priest who received tithes from father Abraham himself.
We come after the parenthesis and Melchizedek came before the
parenthesis. There is significance for us in Melchizedek, this king who also
served as a priest of the Most High God. We’ll see important links not only
between Melchizedek and Christ, but also ourselves, in a few chapters.
Meanwhile, the king of Sodom is pleased that Abraham has conquered
his enemies. When Abraham returns after the battle with the four armies,
the king of Sodom goes out to meet with Abraham to get his people back.
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take
the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up
mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven
and earth. That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and
that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have
made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and
the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre;
let them take their portion.
Genesis 14:21-24
The King of Sodom offers Abram the booty from the battle. According
to the law of Hammurabi that was appropriate, but Abram declines the
offer. He was entitled to it but he says no thank you. He allows the young
men to take what they would like, but Abraham himself won’t take a penny.
Why? He doesn’t want any glory going to that king.
While Abraham receives bread and wine from Melchizedek, king of
Salem, he refuses to take even a shoestrap from the king of Sodom.
Chapter 4
The Son of David in Psalm 110
We began this book with Psalm 110. Let’s return there now.
The importance of Psalm 110 is attested by the unusual prominence
given to it in the New Testament. Psalm 110:1 is alluded to dozens of times
in the New Testament,[12] more than any other passage in the Scriptures.
This leads me to insert here one of my favorite confrontations between
Jesus and His enemies. We find a number of these confrontations in the
New Testament, but my favorite occasion is found in Matthew 22.
On this occasion, Jesus is dealing with a confederation of Pharisees and
Herodians. The Herodians were members of a political party loyal to Herod,
and they tried to trap Jesus by forcing Him to make a political statement
that would prove Him a traitor to Rome. There was unrest in Israel against
Rome, and the people expected the Messiah to throw off the Empire’s yoke
and rule the world from Jerusalem. Here, Jesus’ enemies set Him up. They
attempt to force Him between a chunk of rock and another very hard place
by making Him either speak for or against Caesar. If He agrees to give taxes
to Caesar, He risks alienating the people, but if He speaks against taxes to
Rome, then He can be accused of inciting rebellion. Jesus side-steps their
trick by making His famous statement, “Render therefore unto Caesar the
things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”[13]
The Sadducees then step in and take a shot. They’re the liberal religious
party, the group that rejects the resurrection of the dead. They tried to trap
Jesus with a ridiculous question regarding the Mosaic Law, and that also
failed. Then come the Pharisees, the conservative religio-political party of
the day. They also tried to trap Him by asking Him to narrow down the
greatest commandment of the Law. Jesus answers by laying all the Law and
Prophets on two commandments – to love God with all one’s heart and to
love one’s neighbor as oneself.
These three groups have attempted to corner Jesus, to trick Him and trap
Him. They’ve tried to get Him to say something that they can use against
Him, but in each case He responds brilliantly.
Then Jesus surprises them all by taking His turn. Before the Pharisees
can disperse, Jesus offers them a puzzle to answer. I love this. I really love
this.
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying,
What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son
of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him
Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how
is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst
any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Matthew 22:41-46
Isn’t that fantastic? After that day, nobody dared to ask Him any more
questions!
Let’s look at what Jesus said here. This is important. He initially asks
them whose son is the Messiah, and of course they answered that He was
the “son of David.” There’s plenty of Scripture to support that position.
Then, Jesus throws them a curve ball. He asks, “Why does David call the
Messiah ‘Lord’ if He’s his son?”
It’s important to note that Jesus regarded David’s words as inspired. He
recognized that David had spoken these words in “spirit.” These weren’t
just loose scribbles from David’s pen, they were words birthed in the Spirit
of God. Yet, even though the Messiah was a direct descendant of his, David
considered his “son” to be the greater individual. Jesus forces the Pharisees
to confront this question. “If David then call him ‘Lord’ how is He his
son?”
His point hits those Pharisees between the eyes. These are lawyers.
They are sharp and educated, and Jesus totally befuddled them.
Psalm 110 does not stand alone. The author of Hebrews recognizes the
Sonship of the Messiah in the Scriptures, quoting Psalm 2:7 and the Davidic
Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:14:
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this
day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he
shall be to me a son?
Hebrews 1:5
I love the end of Matthew 22; Jesus sent them away with their tails
between their legs. Psalm 110 is a real dilemma to the rabbis. Let’s
therefore return to Psalm 110 and consider it in full.
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make
thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength
out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the
womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath
sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the
day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the
places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many
countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift
up the head.
Psalm 110:1-7
Psalm 110 begins with the ascension of Christ, with Christ’s sitting at
God’s right hand until such a time as He will return and take charge of His
kingdom. At that time, He will judge the Gentile powers whose reigns
precede His dominion of the earth from Zion.
Psalm 110 also announces the eternal priesthood of Christ: “The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool.” Jesus builds His argument on this verse, and we can see His
point even in the English.
The word “LORD” in English is used to designate the proper name of
Yahweh, the God of Israel. The Jews would not pronounce the
tetragrammatron, YHWH in Hebrew, for fear of misusing the name of the
Holy One of Israel. Its precise pronunciation has been lost over the
millennia because of this. The King James and other English versions honor
God’s proper name by capitalizing the letters in the word LORD. The
second word translated “Lord” in the verse is Adonai, the actual Hebrew
word for “lord.”
In Psalm 110:1, the word Adonai has an important little mark at the end
- the smallest of all the Hebrew letters. It’s called a yod, or jot, and the way
it’s used in this verse makes the word Adonai possessive – “my lord.” The
Pharisees were trumped by that little yod that made the word Adonai mean
“my Lord” – David’s Lord.
This may seem like a small thing, but I’m going to make a big deal
about it because Jesus has given us a precious instruction we need to
absorb. Remember, Jesus said:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all
be fulfilled.
Matthew 5:17
He’s scolding them because they are acting like new believers rather
than spiritual adults who can take strong food. If they were new baby
believers, their inability to understand would be excusable, but they’re to a
point where they should be mature. Yet, he accuses them of regression, of
failing to advance, of having to learn the same lessons over and over again.
What is it that they were not equipped to receive? The milk of the Word
refers to what Jesus did on earth. His birth, His life, His teaching, His death,
His burial, His resurrection. The meat of the Word refers to what Jesus
Christ is now doing in heaven. The writer wants to get onto deeper things,
but feels frustrated by his readers’ lack of spiritual maturity. Let’s skip
ahead and find out what that’s all about.
Chapter 6
A Call to Faith in Hebrews 6
The writer of Hebrews takes chapter 6 to warn against being languid
and lazy - to be like Abraham in faith and patience so as to receive the
promises that God has made.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by
no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee,
and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Hebrews 6:13-14
It means He won’t change His mind. The oath renders the promise
immutable, unchangeable, not open to repentance. God swore that these
things would be done without any conditions attached. There are no “if”
statements attached to the promise – not “if your offspring obey me” or “if
the mood strikes me.” No. God has made an eternal promise to Abraham.
The writer of Hebrews understands the permanence and power of this oath
that God has made, and he recognizes the eternal hope provided in the
statement, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to
them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew
unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it
by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Hebrews 6:16-18
Melchizedek’s Identity
Of course, the fact that there’s no recorded birth or death has caused
people to speculate about the identity of Melchizedek. Was he Shem? Many
people have thought so. We know he couldn’t have been Shem, though,
because no father or mother is given of Melchizedek, while we certainly
know Shem’s genealogy. Was Melchizedek Christ? No, Christ’s priesthood
was after the similitude of Melchizedek. Was Melchizedek a celestial
being? No, Hebrews 7:4 says he was a man. So all these speculations are
based on a failure to understand chapter 7 of Hebrews. The writer of
Hebrews emphasizes that Melchizedek was a type of Christ as the King of
Righteousness and Peace.
As a side note. It is interesting that Joshua’s adversaries aligned
themselves under the leadership of Adonizedek, a name which means, “My
Lord is Righteous.” This leader was an enemy of the people of Israel,
despite his deceptively upright name. Joshua is an anticipatory model of
book of Revelation, and in Revelation 13, we meet Christ’s counterfeit
produced by Satan. The similarities between Joshua and Revelation are
interesting. In Joshua 10:11, Adonizedek is defeated by great hailstones as
his armies flee Joshua, while great hailstones from heaven plague God’s
enemies in Revelation 16:21. The kings hide in caves in Joshua 10:15-23
and in Revelation 6:15-16 the kings of the earth hid in the dens and rocks
from the wrath of the Lamb. It’s fascinating to see the many parallels
between Joshua and Revelation. Adonizedek was not our righteous king.
David predicted the order of Melchizedek would replace the Levitical
priesthood. The very material that was too strong for baby Christians is the
subject matter that the writer of Hebrews will develop in chapters 7-10.
Let’s cheat now, though, and go to the end of the book. Like every good
textbook all the answers are in the back. We’re going to shift to Revelation
chapter 5, the throne room of God.
Chapter 8
Priests and Kings in Revelation 5
Revelation is an interesting book because it provides us with an
organizational outline at the beginning. John is told to write the things he
has seen.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the
things which shall be hereafter;
Revelation 1:19
It turns out that the book divides into three parts. The vision of Christ
occupies chapter 1 and the identities described in that vision are then used
throughout the rest of the book. The seven churches mentioned in the vision
refer to actual churches existing at that time. The most important part of the
book for us in the Church are the messages to the seven churches in
chapters 2 and 3.
It’s interesting that Christ tells John to write, “the things which shall be
hereafter.” Those are the things that follow the messages to the churches.
Chapter 4:1 of Revelation introduces the “hereafter.”
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be
hereafter.
Revelation 4:1
The word “hereafter” is the same expression μετὰ ταῦτα - meta tauta -
that’s used in 1:19. It’s a code word, a key word that partitions this book.
We draw the inference that this is the point at which the Rapture takes place
in the timeline of Revelation.
There are certain indicators that give weight to this conviction. In
Revelation 4:5 we find the seven lamps before the throne – the seven spirits
of God. Chapter 1 identified the seven lampstands with the seven churches
and the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Remember in
chapter 1 the seven lampstands were still on earth, but by chapter 4 we see
them in Heaven, indicating that the entirety of the Church is in Heaven at
this point.
Let’s pick up now in Revelation 5, where we are introduced to the
ultimate escrow closing and the title deed in the form of a sealed book:
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written
within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong
angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book,
and to loose the seals thereof?
Revelation 5:1-2
One of the elders said unto him, “Weep not!” Fortunately there’s an
exception. There is a Man that is worthy to open the seals of the book. And
the description of that Man is a bit strange.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
forth into all the earth.
Revelation 5:6
These are obviously all very Jewish titles. First John calls this heavenly
being “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” which is pretty straightforward as the
label from Jacob’s final blessing on his sons in Genesis 49. Jacob describes
Judah as a lion’s cub who will be the father of kings, prophesying, “The
sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come…”[20]
“The Root of David” connects this person to the messianic prophecies
of the Old Testament.[21] The Scriptures make it clear that the Messiah
would come through David’s line, and God’s covenant with David declares
that he will have a descendant on the throne into perpetuity.[22] The angel
Gabriel confirms this to Mary in chapter 1 of Luke.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he
shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
shall be no end.
Luke 1:32-33
The 24 Elders
Whom do these 24 elders represent? It’s a strange metaphor to be using
here, reminiscent of the 24 courses of priests described in 1 Chronicles 24.
We know that these 24 elders do not represent tribulation believers, because
in Revelation 7:13-14 they are described separately as a different group.
One of the elders queries John about the tribulation saints, asking him,
“What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?”
The elder then tells John the answer to the question, “these are them which
came out of the great tribulation.” The elders are a distinct group from the
tribulation saints.
We also know that the elders are not angels, because in Revelation 7:11
the elders, angels and the four beasts are listed separately. The nation of
Israel is listed separately from the elders in Revelation 7 and 12, so they are
distinct from Israel itself.
Who are they then? We can start by considering the distinguishing
characteristics of the 24 elders. They have thrones. They have white
raiment; that’s a big deal. They have crowns of gold and they sing the song
of the redeemed. Ultimately, we find their identity in the song they sing in
chapter 5:
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:9-10
This song of the redeemed tells us clearly who the elders represent.
They represent us, and we shall reign on the earth. The question is answered
in the first chapter of Revelation, where John says:
…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to
him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:5-6
2 - The “im” ending in Hebrew designates a plural word, and these tribes
are already plural when they are called “Emim” and “Zuzim.” The
King James adds an “s” to the tribe names - which are already plural in
Hebrew – to help us understand the plurality of the words in English.
We’ll continue this practice, even though we recognize it’s redundant.)
[back]
5 - Cf. Dan. 3:26; 4:17, 24, 25, 32, 34, 35; 5:18, 21. [back]
16 - Cf. Psa. 2:6-9; 132:13-18; Isa. 2:1-4; 24:21-23; Eze. 20:33-44; 43:7;
Joel 3:14-17,21; Mic. 4:1-7; Zec. 2:10-13; 8:2-3; 9:9; Luke 1:30-35;
Rev. 20:4,6 [back]
Z-Access
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-Library
ffi